The spokesperson added that the situation of the areas remained peaceful and enjoined the people to always assist police with useful information that could lead to the success of the command in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported complaints by locals that a strange armed group from neighbouring Niger Republic was operating in parts of Tangaza Local Government Area of the Sokoto State, carrying arms and demaning levies from residents.

The police on Friday downplayed the complaints by residents of the border community.

Speaking on Friday evening, Mrs Nwawe told PREMIUM TIMES that the state police commissioner, Murtala Mani, and his deputy in charge of operations, Baba Isa, went to Tangaza on Friday to attend to the situation.

“There’s nothing like armed bandits, there is no need for people to be scared. The commissioner of police and his deputy in charge of operations went and saved the situation,” Mrs Nwawe said.

“There’s no need for people to be apprehensive because whatever happened to Niger Republic has nothing to do with Nigeria. Those people are not operating in Nigeria but Niger Republic. Tangaza is a boundary community, despite people alleged that they saw strange people in the area with their camels, donkeys and wives, it is not in Nigeria.

“But we’re not taking anything lightly because we have mobilised more conventional policemen to make sure the people did not infiltrate into Nigeria,” Mrs Nwawe said.

She said the police were doing their job in Sokoto State but could not go into another country to arrest criminals.

“If someone commits a crime and ran to Niger Republic, we liaise with the authorities to bring back the suspect here, especially when the crime was committed on Nigerian territory,” said the police spokesperson.